boys' name ★ peaked 1921

Wiley

Gender Boy · 2% girls Rank 2025 #1,226 Trend ↑ Rising 24%
Rank 2025
#1,226
among boys · ↓67 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
188
named Wiley · -8% vs 2024
How common
1 in 10,352
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1921
309 babies
All-time total
18,794
#867 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Wiley popularity over time

18,794 babies have been named Wiley since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.250.50.75118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 726 726 73 – #150
1890s – 576 576 58 -21% #212
1900s – 590 590 59 +2% #214
1910s – 1,676 1,676 168 +184% #288
1920s 26 2,621 2,647 265 +58% #340
1930s 11 2,320 2,331 233 -12% #324
1940s 17 2,179 2,196 220 -6% #387
1950s 17 1,735 1,752 175 -20% #465
1960s – 1,147 1,147 115 -35% #664
1970s – 700 700 70 -39% #831
1980s – 528 528 53 -25% #1,144
1990s 11 534 545 55 +3% #1,410
2000s 41 795 836 84 +53% #1,511
2010s 118 1,199 1,317 132 +58% #1,217
2020s (to 2025) 153 1,074 1,227 205 +55% #1,080

Where Wiley is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 171 0.10 outside top 500
2027 177 0.10 outside top 500
2028 182 0.11 outside top 500
2029 186 0.11 outside top 500
2030 190 0.11 outside top 500

Where Wiley is most popular

Boys named Wiley per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.105 per 1,000. Strongest in Oklahoma, Alabama, and Tennessee.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Wiley born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Oklahoma 30 0.339 +223%
Alabama 35 0.320 +205%
Tennessee 56 0.310 +195%
North Carolina 67 0.262 +150%
Missouri 32 0.231 +120%
Georgia 58 0.229 +118%
Colorado 22 0.170 +62%
South Carolina 17 0.165 +56%
Kentucky 12 0.120 +14%
Washington 19 0.116 +10%
Mississippi 6 0.106 ≈ national
Kansas 7 0.102 ≈ national
Ohio 25 0.094 -10%
Arkansas 5 0.079 -25%
Illinois 20 0.078 -26%
Texas 65 0.074 -30%
Iowa 5 0.073 -31%
Florida 33 0.070 -34%
Virginia 13 0.069 -35%
Louisiana 7 0.068 -35%
Oregon 5 0.066 -37%
California 52 0.057 -46%
Indiana 7 0.044 -58%
Massachusetts 5 0.036 -65%
Michigan 5 0.024 -77%
New York 5 0.012 -89%
Alaska – – –
Arizona – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Idaho – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Pennsylvania – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Wiley

Wiley is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,226 in 2025 with 165 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 18,794 American babies have been named Wiley. Its peak came in 1921, when 309 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Wiley stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Wiley?

The median living Wiley is about 46 years old; half are between 12 and 70. An estimated 8,800 people named Wiley are alive in the United States today.

median 46 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Wiley year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 23 #5,545 165 #1,226
2024 23 #5,600 181 #1,159
2023 32 #4,448 186 #1,136
2022 29 #4,787 179 #1,155
2021 25 #5,228 197 #1,080
2020 21 #5,839 166 #1,165
2019 16 #7,319 157 #1,217
2018 11 #9,778 121 #1,450
2017 21 #6,030 122 #1,428
2016 8 #12,818 126 #1,397
2015 15 #7,987 135 #1,316
2014 10 #10,917 120 #1,412
2013 16 #7,729 117 #1,426
2012 12 #9,692 111 #1,465
2011 9 #12,104 87 #1,717
2010 – – 103 #1,557
2009 7 #15,163 99 #1,617
2008 7 #15,327 98 #1,611
2007 – – 77 #1,874
2006 5 #19,925 101 #1,511
2005 9 #11,790 87 #1,594
2004 – – 75 #1,716
2003 6 #15,698 77 #1,645
2002 – – 66 #1,768
2001 7 #13,462 61 #1,839
2000 – – 54 #1,943
1995 – – 45 #1,912
1990 – – 60 #1,463
1985 – – 63 #1,189
1980 – – 64 #1,144
1975 – – 49 #1,227
1970 – – 95 #831
1965 – – 125 #664
1960 – – 136 #671
1955 5 #6,714 171 #566
1950 5 #6,092 206 #465
1945 – – 193 #429
1940 7 #3,853 213 #392
1935 – – 286 #324
1930 – – 212 #396
1925 – – 245 #381
1920 – – 263 #370
1915 – – 212 #369
1910 – – 73 #288
1905 – – 52 #276
1900 – – 61 #265
1895 – – 61 #226
1890 – – 60 #215
1885 – – 76 #175
1880 – – 78 #170

Famous people named Wiley

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Wiley Post Wiley Post 20th-century American aviator 1898–1935 · 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Wiley, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Wiley?

The median living Wiley is about 46 years old. Half of all living Wileys are between 12 and 70 years old.

How many people named Wiley are alive today?

An estimated 8,800 people named Wiley are alive in the United States, based on 18,794 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Wiley in 2025?

Wiley ranked #1,226 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 165 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Wiley?

18,794 babies have been named Wiley in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Wiley most popular?

Wiley peaked in 1921, when 309 newborns received the name.

Is Wiley a boy or girl name?

Wiley is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 98% of babies with the name.

Is the name Wiley rising or falling?

Wiley is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Wiley become more popular?

Wiley is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 190 boys named Wiley in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Wiley?

Well-known people named Wiley include Wiley Post (explorer).

Names like Wiley

Names that sound and feel close to Wiley: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Wiley with similar names → More names starting with W →